TeenTix Blog

Review of Director's Choice at Pacific Northwest Ballet by Julie H.When the lights come on, you are staring at a huge piece of graph paper as the background. Then people start coming in to a New York City metro station. They do not seem to notice one another, just crossing the stage. Suddenly they all stop at the exact same time, like someone just hit the pause button. Then the play button is pushed and they are back in action. Just like that.Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Carla Körbes and Batkhurel Bold in Jerome Robbins’ Glass PiecesPhoto by Angela SterlingThis happens over and over, getting you wondering when it is going to happen next. Then, in the background, a line of dancers weave perfectly to the music, taking their time to cross the stage, starting with just one person. It feels so real that you have to resist the urge to go up there and start dancing with them. The music becomes louder and the dancing intensifies, then they just…well you will have to wait and see.This is Glass Pieces, choreographed by Jerome Robbins, with music by Phillip Glass, the final of four astounding dances included in this year’s season-opening Director’s Choice program at Pacific Northwest Ballet.(L-R) Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers Josh Spell, Kylee Kitchens, James Moore and Chalnessa Eames in Jiri Kylian’s Sechs Tänze (Six Dances)Photo by Angela SterlingIn Six Dances, which is choreographed by Jiri Kylian to the music of Mozart, we travel back in time to two centuries ago, where all we live for are powdered wigs and the comedy within them. You may think that ballet+Mozart=boring, but that does not seem to be the case in Six Dances. The music and dancing start off slow, and as they get faster, the comedy intensifies. The dancers feel the music and are matched beautifully by the orchestra in the pit. The dance finishes up with a bubble shower that reminded me of the wackiness and wonder of being little. It can’t help but put a smile on your face.Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Carrie Imler and Olivier Wevers in Nacho Duato’s Jardí TancatPhoto by Angela Sterling The dance that follows intermission, Jardí Tancat, choreographed by Nacho Duanto, starts off with no music. The dancers have to be in sync with only the beats in their head; there are no musical cues to help them. This I found pretty amazing. The dance is a story about the people who work on the land praying to God for rain to come. Choosing this style of inspiration for a dance tends to be a hit or miss but, in this case, the clever choreography communicates the story clearly.Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in Jiri Kylian’s Petite MortPhoto by Angela SterlingDirector’s Choice is fun for all ages and will please lovers of all different dance styles of dance, from theatre to ballet to contemporary.Director's ChoicePacific Northwest BalletThrough October 3Going to Pacific Northwest Ballet for the first time? Write us a note about it, and you might win a fabulous prize pack including tons of tickets and memberships to local arts venues. It's the Teen Tix (he)ARTSCrush Adventure Quest! All you have to do is go to this form, write a note (150 words or less) about your experience at a new-to-you arts venue, and hit "Submit." Boom. You're entered to win. Do it over and over and over again and you might get crowned Seattle's Bravest Young Arts-Goer TM. More details here. Good luck!

Review of Wedding Belles at Taproot Theatre by Emma Me.Once again, Taproot Theatre fails to disappoint, this time with a vivid and comedic performance about life in the southern United States during World War II.Wedding Belles takes place over the course of a day in the life of four older women in Eufala Springs, Texas, 1942. As many women of their time, these four close friends are very involved with the war. By baking for soldiers, donating supplies such as newspaper and aluminum to be recycled in times of hardship, and raising money through town functions, the ladies do their part to help their country during wartime. Filled with laughs, accurate costumes, and an outstanding set, Wedding Belles is a return to the past for many who were alive in the mid-1900s.Karen Nelsen, Charissa Adams and Kim MorrisPhoto by Erik StuhaugAs the show begins, the day starts off as an ordinary one, with three of the ladies searching for the other, Laura Lee, at her house. The three are introduced as Glendine, Bobrita, and Violet, the last two being sisters. While they gripe and present their problems in strong southern accents, Laura Lee walks in with a surprise. Trailing behind her is a young teenage girl named Ima Jean whom she found alone at the bus station. It is quickly discovered that this young, meek girl is to be married to her sweetheart, an infantryman. After she meets him at the bus station later in the day, the two will be wed at the courthouse. Upon hearing the story, the enthusiastic and independent women quickly take Ima Jean under their collective wing and begin to plan a grand wedding for her.Setting the scene and dominating an entire wall is the façade of the back of Laura Lee’s house, which places the bulk of the action in her backyard. A porch, table, and flowers all become incredibly versatile props, seamlessly integrating themselves into the characters’ actions. The telephone ringing constantly in the window completes the setting, becoming a vital information hotline between the women and the rest of the small town. However, the incredible scenery is nothing without the impressive acting done by everyone involved. Each one of the five southern ladies has a bold and unique nature, and all of their unique personalities are definitely done justice in this show.Karen Nelsen, front, with Gretchen Douma, backPhoto by Erik StuhaugAfter the lights dim and country music filters throughout the room, the audience truly comes to know the characters. It is easy to fall in love with young Ima Jean, waiting for her beloved. The four ladies with their sweet, caring personalities and different, relatable struggles are the epitome of the average women of the time period. The bonds formed by the promise of a wedding and the sense of urgency only brought about by wartime become both enjoyable and comical when experienced through Wedding Belles.Wedding BellesTaproot TheatreThrough October 23rdGoing to Taproot Theatre for the first time? Write us a note about it, and you might win a fabulous prize pack including tons of tickets and memberships to local arts venues. It's the Teen Tix (he)ARTSCrush Adventure Quest! All you have to do is go to this form, write a note (150 words or less) about your experience at a new-to-you arts venue, and hit "Submit." Boom. You're entered to win. Do it over and over and over again and you might get crowned Seattle's Bravest Young Arts-Goer TM. More details here. Good luck!

They're not just for kids anymore.Y'know. You grow up. You enjoy things like groceries and shoes and someplace to put your groceries and shoes. So, you get a job.

ArtsCrush, Seattle's mammoth month-long arts festival, kindly informs you of the following FREE teen arts workshops:WRITING YOUR TRUTHAGE: High SchoolTEACHER: Eli HastingsDATE: Saturday, October 9, 1:00 - 3:00 PMLOCATION: Richard Hugo House, Capitol HillDESCRIPTION: What's cool? There are a lot of answers. But way too often, being 'cool' gets mixed up with not speaking your own truth. That's what we'll do in this special workshop: find a way to start telling our stories and redefining cool through spoken word, hip hop, poetry, letters to important people, or just good old rants.This workshop is FREE, but a reservation is required. Click here to learn more and to RSVP. POETIC MASHUPSAGE: Middle SchoolTEACHER: Emily BerardDATE: Sunday, October 10, 1:00 - 2:00 PMLOCATION: Elliot Bay Book Company, Capitol HillDESCRIPTION: Dig into a selection of beautiful, weird, and thought-provoking poems for words or phrases that ignite your brain. Then mash these mined gems together into a fantastic new mutant hybrid of your own.This workshop is FREE, but a reservation is required. Click here to learn more and to RSVP.HIP HOP POETRY REMIXAGE: High SchoolTEACHER: Aaron CountsDATE: Sunday, October 10, 2:00 - 3:00 PMLOCATION: Elliot Bay Book Company, Capitol HillDESCRIPTION: Are you ready to flip the script on some of hip hop’s classic tracks? Rap music is known to be home for some of this generation’s great storytellers, and in this class we’ll insert ourselves into those stories, breaking free of the music’s rhyme and meter to see where the lyrics take us. We’ll use some of hip hop’s anthems as well as lesser known songs as source material to scratch, cut and riff our way to new and original poetry.This workshop is FREE, but a reservation is required. Click here to learn more and to RSVP.THE IDEA JARAGE: High SchoolTEACHER: Karen FinneyrockDATE: Sunday, October 10, 3:00 - 4:00 PMLOCATION: Elliot Bay Book Company, Capitol HillDESCRIPTION: Jack London said, "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." In this hands-on workshop, we will create jars full of inspiration in the form of writing prompts. After brainstorming on the qualities of a good prompt, students will create a piece of text from one of the suggestions provided. Then, we will decorate jars and make enough writing prompts to fill them up. We provide the jars, you provide the ideas!This workshop is FREE, but a reservation is required. Click here to learn more and to RSVP.GET BLOODY! HOW TO MAKE STAGE BLOODAGE: 12 - adultTEACHER: Seattle Opera Props Guru Pete OldsDATE: Saturday, October 23, 10:00 AMLOCATION: McCaw Hall, Seattle CenterDESCRIPTION: Seattle Opera Props Guru Pete Olds teaches you all the tricks in this bloody workshop! Pete has been in the Seattle Opera blood-making business for more than 20 years and has made blood for operas such as Lucia di Lammermoor, Macbeth, and Bluebeard’s Castle to name a few. This workshop is geared for adults or teens over age 12 and is limited to 25 people. Everyone will get a chance to make blood of different varieties and for different uses (thick, thin, spray-able, ooze-able). Everything is provided but beware: you’ll get bloody yourself so be sure to come prepared to get messy (this blood stains clothes).This workshop is FREE, but a reservation is required. Click here to learn more and to RSVP.Going to one of these workshops? Write us a note about it, and you might win a fabulous prize pack including tons of tickets and memberships to local arts venues. It's the Teen Tix (he)ARTSCrush Adventure Quest! All you have to do is go to this form, write a note (150 words or less) about your experience at a new-to-you arts venue, and hit "Submit." Boom. You're entered to win. Do it over and over and over again and you might get crowned Seattle's Bravest Young Arts-Goer TM. More details here. Good luck!

Director's Choice @ Pacific Northwest Ballet

A dispatch from YCW '10 grad, Emma Kelley.Hello Seattle! Since completing YCW this spring, I’ve landed a disturbing 3,000 miles away from my mother-ship, the Emerald City. Currently, I am a freshman at Smith College in Massachusetts, pursuing a double major in theatre and English. Writing and the arts have always been my drugs of choice, but YCW absolutely solidified my intention to study them here. Getting the chance to write about the arts, with the best mentors ever, and other teenagers who felt the same way I do was truly unique. My critical skills as a reviewer and observer increased ten-fold, and really, how cool was it to schmooze with THE STRANGER’s staff? Also, the benefits of YCW didn’t stop for me in April. This August, I had an article published along with some other YCW grads in THE STRANGER (every hipster’s dream). I fully credit the awesomeness of Teen Tix and Brendan Kiley for the opportunity, and caution future YCW-ers not to doubt the impact of this RADICAL PROGRAM! It’s the perfect way to take advantage of the rich creative environment in Seattle - do it while you can! Because really, Massachusetts is cool and all, but I have yet to find a city with such a vibrant and eccentric creative environment... And thanks to Teen Tix, you can get all this for free in a neat little package with some thoughtfulness and humor on the side.Young Critics Workshopa writing seminar for 11th & 12th graders taught by Stranger Theater Editor Brendan KileyNovember - April, 2010 - 2011Applications due October 15, 2010More info here.

How to Make Body Parts with ACT TheatreACT is getting ready for their bloody, bloody show, Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Here, see how they are recreating actor Tim Hyland's head...in order to destroy it. The Lieutenant of InishmoreACT TheatreOctober 15 - November 14Ages 16+ for violence, coarse language, adult themes

Playwright Tommy Smith on his new play, Sextet (about the love lives of composers Gesualdo, Tchaikovsky, and Schoenberg), which opens October 8 at Washington Ensemble Theatre. Favorite quote: "...if you're alone in a dark room and you watch somebody else pretending to suffer, you feel better."Note: Sadly, we can't recommend this play to all Teen Tixers, due to adult material (it's got - as the title suggests - a lot of sex in it), but we happily recommend this video to everyone, as Tommy Smith is a playwright of the highly smart and interesting variety.

SextetWashington Ensemble TheatreOctober 8 - November 15Recommended for ages 17+

Hooray! It's the return of datebook, because teenagers actually *don't* make all of their decisions at the last possible minute.Here's what you'll want to be putting in your planner for October:First and foremost, October is ARTSCrush month, and that means that over a hundred local arts organizations will be offering free tickets, tours, chances to meet artists and other great stuff all month long. It also means that the Teen Tix (he)ARTSCrush Adventure Quest is ON! The Adventure Quest is your chance to see a ton of art, win fabulous (seriously, FABULOUS) prizes, and perhaps get crowed Seattle's Bravest Young Arts-Goer (TM). All you have to do to win is go to an arts venue that you've never been to before and write us a little note about it. Your note goes on the blog, your name goes in the hat, and, at the end of the month, somebody will WIN BIG PRIZES, including free tickets and memberships to keep you arting it up all year long! Get all the deets here.Okay, here's what's on:theatreThe Scarlet Letter @ Intiman TheatreEvil Dead: The Musical @ ArtsWestdancePeering in the Ballroom @ Spectrum Dance TheatrePat Graney Company: Faith Triptych @ On the BoardsmusicGershwin's Rhapsody in Blue @ Seattle SymphonymoviesAlfred Hitchcock Presents @ SIFF Cinemavisual artSuttonBeresCuller: Panoptos @ Henry Art Gallery

...and we know that's a lot of you, we heartily recommend getting yourselves down to the ol' ACT Theatre to check out the incomparable Julie Briskman as Ann Landers in The Lady With All The Answers. Now, you might be thinking, Julie who? Ann whatnow? Never you mind. Just trust us. A good story's a good story, and amazing acting is amazing acting, and this has got both.

A dispatch from YCW '10 grad Charlotte Z:YCW is the only reason I would have put myself through a grueling 1+ hour bus ride after a long day of school from Woodinville to Seattle twice a month. Seeing plays, movies and going to other artsy things is something I truly dig, and YCW was offering all this to me…for free. Oh-ho-ho, I thought to myself, how clever I will be! I will attend this and write some reviews about lovely things and everything will be excellent.I never actually expected YCW to affect me as much as it did. I think it’s really only possible to find yourself as a writer if you attempt different types of writing. YCW forced me to do that. Additionally, having peers and mentors helps you realize how your writing comes across to others. Brendan and Holly constantly pushed us to develop, to express ourselves in new ways, to find our voices. Our wee trips were also great fun…especially, urm, when I set off the fire alarm at the Seattle Art Museum…but take my advice - try not to do that.Really, YCW just made me change so much as a person. It made me less hesitant to share my writing. It presented me with a wonderful group of peers (some of whom I’m still in touch with) and the best teachers one could ask for. Going into my second year at my school’s newspaper as Graphics Editor, YCW has given me much more confidence.Young Critics Workshopa writing seminar for 11th & 12th graders taught by Stranger Theater Editor Brendan KileyNovember - April, 2010 - 2011Applications due October 15, 2010More info here.

Review of A Doctor in Spite of Himself at Intiman Theatre by Ehrik A.Laughter is the best medicine and A Doctor in Spite of Himself prescribes enough laughter to keep you healthy for a very long time. A retelling of the original play by the French playwright (and satirist), Molière, the Intiman’s Doctor avoids the temptation of indulging in satirizing the problems and debates of today’s healthcare system. Instead, co-adaptors Christopher Bayes and Steven Epp focus their efforts on creating what an audience comes to a comedy for in the first place: laughter.Steven Epp, Don Darryl Rivera, Allen Gilmore and Daniel Breaker in A Doctor in Spite of Himself at Intiman TheatrePhoto by Chris BennionA brief outline of the plot is as follows: Sgnarelle, an alcoholic woodcutter, has a fight with his wife, Martine. In revenge, Martine convinces two servants, Lucas and Valere, that her husband is a brilliant doctor-genius who can cure any ailment known to man. Luckily for the servants, their master’s daughter has mysteriously become mute after her father forbade her from marrying the love of her life, Leandre. Sgnarelle subsequently finds himself carried off to the master’s house to cure his daughter. And the rest is pure comedy.Immediately, you realize what your ticket has bought you when the play opens with an ABBA reference that has Sgnarelle dancing around a Punch-and-Judy puppet booth that is as random as it is hilarious. The play is riddled with these types of non-sequiturs and pop-culture references that make it a brilliant and unique amalgam of traditional Italian commedia dell’arte and modern comedy.The cast is keen to highlight this, as the actors each appropriately give excellent over-the-top performances that even leave each other breaking character and cracking up at the funniest points in the play. Particularly noteworthy is the cast’s leader, Seattle debutant Daniel Breaker, who I recently came to be familiar with through his Tony-nominated performance in Passing Strange. His Sgnarelle perfectly executes both sidesplitting deadpan and riotous slapstick. Think: “Old Spice guy meets SpongeBob.”Daniel BreakerPhoto by Mark Harrison/Seattle TimesThe last thing I’d like to note in the play is the music, whose presence likens it to being a character all on its own. Often times you’ll find a well-timed drumbeat or a carnival-esque chord from the accordion serving as the punch line to a well-punctuated joke.Laughter creates a sense of escape from all the bad parts of life: the real problems, the real conflicts, the breakups, the tests, the college apps… And that’s just what this play brings: a coruscating silver lining to the dimness of the real world. Kind of like the ice cream you get after a tonsillectomy or wisdom tooth extraction. What A Doctor in Spite of Himself boils down to is an hour and a half of laughter and enjoyment. The jokes are so fast (maybe a bit too fast) and plentiful that I honestly don’t believe that there was any point in the play the audience was silent. The energy that this show’s writing, set, costumes, cast, and audience brings to the stage is a warm reminder of why you come to the theatre in the first place. Be sure to bring your friends.A Doctor in Spite of HimselfIntiman TheatreThrough October 10thRecommended for ages 13+ due to adult language and situations

Hi, this is VCN2 Project blog here! We love your work too. Actually my name is Caz and I work at the Victorian Arts Centre in Melbourne, Australia. I'm a curator currently working on a series of collaborative digital projects for schools drawing on the Centre's Performing Arts Collection. At the moment we are working on an interactive Australian music timeline for teens and a circus activity matrix for primary/ elementary level kids. VCN stands for Victorian Cultural Network which is funding the project.Now that I know people outside our team are visiting I'll try and post more often!

A dispatch from Young Critics Workshop grad Joshua Gregory:I'll be attending UW in the fall, and I believe YCW has expanded my writing tools. Before YCW, I utilized a basic set of tools in my writing. This class has taught me through experimentation how to use a broader technique and styles. More importantly however, YCW is fun. So enjoyable in fact that I found myself looking forward to combating Seattle traffic every other week. That, my recruits, is how memorable YCW was to me.Young Critics Workshopa writing seminar for 11th & 12th graders taught by Stranger Theater Editor Brendan KileyNovember - April, 2010 - 2011Applications due October 15, 2010More info here.

The French Project: The New New Wave live @ Northwest Film ForumLet us just break this down for you: four (or five, or sometimes six) unbelievably talented and attractive musicians play everything from Debussy to ZZ Top to Pat Benatar, translated into (dubious) French, backed with short films. It doesn't need to make sense: it's magical. It's tonight's Stranger Suggests, and they say:"Erin Jorgensen is Seattle's sweetest songbird, a tiny tattooed woman with an enormous marimba whose French renditions of anything from Serge Gainsbourg to Johnny Thunders have a satisfyingly narcotic sweetness. Her band the French Project—Charles Smith and his zither, Basil Harris (of "Awesome") and his bass, Sarah Edwards and her guitar—is as witty, pretty, and arch as you could want."Oh, P.S. this band contains TWO Crushes of the Month: our current Crush, marimba rockstar Erin Jorgensen, and Basil Harris, of "Awesome" the band, our April, 2010 Crush(es) of the Month!The French Project: The New New WaveNorthwest Film ForumTHIS WEEKEND ONLY: Thurs - Sat Sept 16 - 18

So, um, I guess you didn't notice the video?

dude!!!! you didn't tell me anything!!! Yes he's crush-worthy, yes he is probably so freaking awesome - but only for you, you hot guy hog!!! I wanted to know what witty answers he gave, what funny witticisms he had. Tape it next time! Please please please. word for word account is much better than a "I got lost and then I met this cool dude and he was totally dreamy" summarization!!!!!! -From an unsatisfied customer.

A dispatch from Young Critics Workshop grad Laura Valiente:Speak of the devil, I was just telling a friend about what a great experience Young Critics Workshop was for me over the year. It helped me improve my writing, and use the English language more creatively, not to mention meet folks from The Stranger (aka Brendan Kiley). YCW will give you some cool bragging rights, that trust me, you’ll find useful (everything from telling your family friends you were able to go see plays, movies, and museums and get reviewed and sometimes published, you get the idea).Since YCW and graduating high school, I find myself reading more publications, reviews, and further developing my style of writing. I’ve learned that I definitely want to major or minor in some type of journalism - specifically fashion writing, thus making my life revolve around the world of fancy clothing.I think that one of the coolest things I did this year was taking YCW instead of sitting at home. If you like to be productive and are interested in writing of some sort, take Young Critics Workshop, it’s a neat way to meet new faces and learn something cool that’s FREE.Young Critics Workshopa writing seminar for 11th & 12th graders taught by Stranger Theater Editor Brendan KileyNovember - April, 2010 - 2011Applications due October 15, 2010More info here.

I'm really scared that there were subliminal messages in that and now in the middle of the night i will have a craving for polish hot dogs with mickey mouse ears onit